In a significant show of solidarity and leadership, Nigeria’s top military commanders, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Oluremi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Waide Shaibu, marked Christmas Day with frontline personnel in Jos. The event, held with troops of the Joint Task Force-Operation Enduring Peace (JTF-OPEP), underscores the high command’s commitment to morale and the strategic importance of the North-Central security theatre.
Represented by Major-General Umar Abubakar, Commander of the Armour Corps, the service chiefs conveyed a powerful, dual-layered message: one of festive gratitude and another of stern, operational necessity.
Commendation and a Call for Sustained Vigilance
General Oluyede, through his representative, commended the “commitment and resilience” of the JTF-OPEP troops operating across Plateau, Kaduna, and Bauchi states. He acknowledged the complex and persistent security challenges—often involving communal conflicts, banditry, and terrorism—that the task force contends with. However, his speech swiftly pivoted from praise to precaution. He urged troops to remain “vigilant, disciplined, and proactive,” highlighting a critical tactical reality: “criminal elements often seek to exploit festive periods to undermine peace and security.” This warning is rooted in historical patterns where reduced alertness or diverted resources during holidays have been exploited by adversaries to launch attacks.
The Strategic Pillars of Enduring Peace
The CDS’s address moved beyond immediate tactics to outline the philosophical and strategic foundations for lasting security. While describing Christmas as a season of “love, sacrifice, hope and renewal,” he explicitly tied these values to national service. More concretely, he emphasized two non-kinetic pillars essential for counter-insurgency and peacekeeping success:
- Inter-Agency Collaboration: The call for “stronger collaboration with other security agencies” addresses the chronic need for seamless intelligence-sharing and joint operations between the Army, Police, Air Force, and Department of State Services (DSS) to avoid operational gaps.
- Community Trust as a Center of Gravity: Perhaps the most crucial point was the emphasis on “positive engagement with local communities.” The CDS stated plainly that the people’s trust “is essential to achieving enduring peace.” This acknowledges that military force alone cannot resolve conflicts; victory is unsustainable without the support of the populace, who provide local intelligence and legitimacy.
Welfare and Command Philosophy
Recognizing that morale is intrinsically linked to welfare, both chiefs made explicit commitments to the troops’ well-being. General Oluyede promised to “continually prioritise the welfare of personnel and their families,” with efforts aimed at improving living and working conditions. Echoing this, Lieutenant-General Shaibu reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s dedication to “professionalism, combat readiness and personnel welfare” as part of his core command philosophy. This public assurance is vital for retention, esprit de corps, and ensuring that soldiers feel valued beyond their operational utility.
Context and Significance
This Christmas visit is not merely a ceremonial gesture. It is a deliberate leadership action with deep symbolic and practical weight. By choosing to celebrate with the JTF-OPEP in Jos—a region perennially grappling with fragility—the service chiefs signal that the frontline is their priority. It reinforces a commander’s presence, allows for direct (though represented) communication of strategic priorities, and boosts troop morale during a period when separation from family is most acutely felt. The event, covered by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), also projects a message of unity and resolve to the Nigerian public and, pointedly, to those who threaten the nation’s peace.
In essence, the celebration in Jos was a strategic communication tool, blending seasonal goodwill with a clear-eyed reinforcement of the principles needed to secure the nation: unwavering vigilance, community-centric strategies, and unwavering support for the soldier on the ground.
Edited by Muhammad Lawal
